Chinese soldier who crossed over to fly back home after 5 decades

Wang Qi, a Chinese prisoner of war who settled in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district after his release from jail and raised a family here after marrying an Indian, is all set to fly to his native country after five decades.

Wang, now 77, was caught for entering the Indian territory shortly after the Sino-India War of 1962. He was later released from jail.(PTI Photo)

Wang Qi, a Chinese prisoner of war who settled in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district after his release from jail and raised a family here after marrying an Indian, is all set to fly to his native country after five decades.

Wang, now 77, was caught for entering the Indian territory shortly after the Sino-India War of 1962. He was later released from jail.

“Wang with his wife Sushila, and their son Vishnu and two other family members will be flying to China,” Balaghat Collector Bharat Yadav told PTI.

He said Wang and his four family members got visa on Friday and they might fly to China tomorrow. This has happened due to the help they received from the Ministry of Home and External Affairs.

Official sources in Beijing said Wang and his family members are expected to arrive here tomorrow.

After their arrival, they would travel to his native place in Shaanxi Province to meet Wang’s relatives, they said.

The development has come within a week after a delegation from the Chinese Embassy met Wang who had been wanting to visit his country.

“Three officials from Chinese Embassy in India met my father and talked to him for more than one hour. They assured him all possible help to visit China,” his son Vishnu (35) had told PTI over phone from Balaghat on February 4.

Wang, who lives with his wife and three children in Tirodi area of Balaghat district, has not been able to visit China for the last five decades for want to permission from Indian government, according to the family.